Taken In
by QuintossentialGray
Summary: Eric has been forced to relocate from the South to the East Coast after the F.O.T.S. church debacle of s2. Gabriel Gray has a name and nothing else when he winds up at Eric's new doorstep. Blank slate!Gabe is claimed by Eric. Spoilers s4 Heroes. Slash
1. Chapter 1

It's not as if Eric hadn't moved around before, but he'd been in Shreveport, Louisiana for at least the past decade. Maybe more, time didn't mean anything now when it passed by. Queen Sophie-Anne was being completely reactionary when she made a deal to transfer Eric to another state, and have him take over for the Sheriff there. He'd lost the Fangtasia that so many years of time and effort had been put into to build, and now he was forced to start from scratch. In Maryland of all places, the Queen said it was so he could lure in the 'prurient political element—one can never have too much potential blackmail material'. While that was certainly true, it meant giving up his rather lucrative V market he'd built secretly in the state, so he had to depend upon the bar being a success on its own. It was day four since the grand opening of Fangtasia East and so far, so good. Business was steady, the clientele exactly what Queen Sophie-Anne and her Maryland associates wanted to exploit, and there had yet to be any significant drama. Though few things could beat a maenad showing up and enthralling a town—Eric wasn't really involved personally in that event.

After having made his nightly appearance in the club, Eric was at his desk involved with the more routine elements of running a business—going over his recent expenses. There was a knock at the door before Pam walked in looking fabulous as ever in a navy blue button up with white buttons, tight white Capri pants, and white strappy heels. He arched a brow and glanced up from the stack of papers in front of him.

"I see you're going for the patriotic vibe in honor of our new locale...there's no red though is there?" He looked her up and down before staring looking back at the documents. Her lipstick was pretty red, so perhaps she believed that should count.

"It's meant to invoke classic Americana…not beat you over the head with it. Eric, there's something you need to see." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look before she left his office. Eric sighed and stood from behind his desk, moving down the hall to another room in the back, sort of a break-room for their employees. Pam met his gaze as she stood inside of the room and nodded to the corner—there was a man sitting on one of the spare bar stools. Eric couldn't see his face as he was staring at the floor but he looked like a complete mess in the most intriguing of ways.

Clad in a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants combo that both belonged to the 'Baltimore Police Department', there was blood on his shirt from what appeared to be bullet-holes at his stomach and chest. The stench of sweat and fear curled Eric's nostrils slightly as he watched the man shiver—a glass of water gripped tightly that he occasionally sipped from. His hair was too-long and it fell in his eyes whenever his chin tipped up, it also had soil on it as did most of his body from what Eric could tell of the very Earthen scent pervading the room from the moment he stepped in.

He turned and looked at Pam, speaking to her in their shared tongue of Swedish so that this interesting find didn't overhear Eric's questions of why he smelled as if he'd been underground or why there's only the scent of dried blood but nothing fresh from where wounds clearly once were. Pam replied that he hadn't said anything except to ask for a glass of water when she found him collapsed near the club's side-door. For a moment, Eric considered the man then told Pam to leave them. She scoffed slightly before she turned and left them in the break-room together. After she was gone, Eric moved and took another bar-stool, placing it near the man before he sat down.

"My associate tells me she found you outside of my club, judging from the bullet-holes you were shot at one point, but you're not bleeding anymore…that's definitely peculiar." There was a twitch in his shoulder as he moved the glass to his lips again.

"I'm not dangerous…She was supposed to help me…she was horrified by me I-I think. Or maybe…maybe just scared. B-but I _don't know how_ it happened, s-so I ran as far as I could. Lost—in the woods, again…" He drank from the glass and looked up for the first time at the man sitting across from him. It unnerved him how the tall blonde seemed to be eyeing him up. At the moment, there was nothing he could do about it as he sat there. Eric leaned forward and when his eyes locked onto the brunette's own, he began to speak in a very soft and smooth voice.

"It's okay…everything is alright…tell me your name and what's happened to you…everything is alright, I promise." It wasn't his favorite thing to glamour someone, but it was a good way of getting information quickly. As soon as he was done speaking, Eric noticed the man visibly relax and sit up a little straighter on his stool as he slowly took a breath.

"They told me my name was Gabriel Gray—a watchmaker from Queens…I don't remember that—or anything about myself. The first thing I remember is waking up covered in dirt. I was in a grave—a hole and I had to dig myself out. I was found by an officer and brought in…there was an officer he said I murdered my mother—I don't even know who that is. S-something happened…I ran, I was shot at, but…the wounds closed up again. I'm scared that someone's after me and I have no idea why." So much of this didn't add up in Eric's mind. The facts of being buried and able to heal meant vampire, and yet this man was clearly human still. He leaned forward and looked into Gabriel's eyes again.

"Everything's fine…Gabriel, I want you to show me where they shot you at." His arm reached out and his fingers curled at the end of the man's sweatshirt to lift it up slowly. Under the glamour's influence, Gabriel sat quiet and still as Eric revealed inch after inch of his stomach then his chest. Dried blood, yes, but otherwise there was not a mark on him. The sweatshirt was allowed to settle back over the dark curly hairs that lined from Gabriel's belly button down as Eric stood up slowly. This wasn't quite like anything he'd seen of a mere mortal—something had to be different about this man. He would be considered quite a find for any vampire, but Gabriel was now all Eric's—and he wanted to find out more about this bloodied enigma.

Once the glamour wore off, Gabriel's twitchy nervousness returned, if not quite as bad as it was when he first showed up. Another quick sip of the water and he stood on shaky legs to try and set the glass down on a nearby table.

"I-I'm sorry I bothered you, please don't call the police, I didn't mean any of it there's just…I can't control it—it terrifies me." Gabriel moved to head for the door again before Eric's firm grip stopped him in his tracks. He nervously glanced up at Eric's eyes as he waited for the surprisingly strong grip to loosen—it didn't.

"Wait just a moment Gabriel…you can't go back out there, especially not like that. But if the police are after you then you need to stay hidden. For all you know, it could have been a cop that left you to die in that grave, correct? You have nowhere else to go so why don't you just lay low here for a while? Maybe a missing persons report will turn up with your face on it, but until then I can offer you a job in my club." A slight smile tugged at the corners of Eric's lips as he withdrew his hand from Gabriel's arm. Though his memories seemed to be gone, his common sense remained. Gabriel gave the tall man a wary look as he stood there uneasily.

"Why…why would you want to help me? I don't understand." Eric's expression became more serious again as he crossed his arms over his chest. Why, indeed. It could be a number of factors, the leading one being Eric always wanted the best for himself. A human who could heal was certainly quite the notch in his belt. Also there was innocence present in the man that held an appeal Eric found secretly irresistible. He set his hand on the man's shoulder looking into his eyes again but speaking without the intention of glamouring him.

"Because, I've lost a great deal recently and perhaps you fell at my doorstep for a reason, Gabriel. I can keep the police from finding you, help you build something new—life itself is so tenuous. You should be living in the moment from this day on, and forget about grasping at the past. It's merely dust that will fall through your fingertips no matter what you do to try and keep it in your grip. Believe me, I know. Now then…if you wish to stay you can sleep on the couch in my office and work in the club busing tables, for a start." Such a mischievous glint in Eric's eye when he thought about where he could see Gabriel ending up after a couple weeks here—Eric could feel a great deal of potential within this man. No matter how damaged he appeared on the outside, he had something primal on the inside.

Anyone else would have already called the cops and left him out to dry. Why wouldn't they? He was covered in blood and grime, unable to recall who he was or what he did—he really could have murdered someone for all Eric knew. But as for Gabriel, he knew nothing of any such act. Just that things went sour in that interrogation room and something happened that he couldn't explain no matter how hard he could have tried. Any kindness he could get should be taken and treasured.

"I—I'll stay, thank you…I'm sorry, I didn't get your name yet." Eric flatly refused this man always had such semi-pathetic puppy dog eyes every time he'd look up at someone. This wasn't a timid mouse—he was a wounded beast. In all of his years, Eric could tell when someone's mind had been toyed with, and this man was a perfect example. It could have been a hex perhaps, or something as pedestrian as a common head injury. Under the loose fitting pants and the baggy shirt, Eric could practically sense a strong, lean body. He would delight in taking in the sight of it when it was exposed to him for the first time—but that would wait.

"My name is Eric, and there's something you should know about this place and about myself before we get you cleaned up and into some decent clothes." The subtle click could barely be heard as his teeth extended behind his pursed lips.

A week later and Gabriel's world had been opened up in so many ways. Every moment brought a new sight or sensation as he spent his nights working until sun-up at Fangtasia. Did he know about vampires actually existing before he lost his memories? Maybe, but he certainly knew now. His boss was one, Pam was one, and various customers at the bar were as well. The first couple of nights were a little rough to handle. Watching humans being fed from as they sat at the bar, but they seemed to love every minute of it. It intrigued Gabriel so much what it felt like, but he had no intention of just any person taking a bite out of him only so he could know what it was like.

He was collecting glasses from an empty table when he felt a sudden chill at his arm, there was a hand on his shoulder. Slowly he turned around in his red, nicely-fitted Fangtasia staff t-shirt and black pants to look into the eyes of a medium-build man who looked to be in his late-thirties but could very well be in his first century. Sure, he'd been stared at quite a few nights since he began working, but this was the first time he'd ever actually been touched.

"Is there…something I can get you, Sir?" The muscle of his arm flexed nervously as the ice-cold hand remained on his skin still. A smirk was the only reply until those fingers dragged along his arm like melting ice-water dripping against the warmth of his living flesh.

"I've seen you here over the past few nights…but you don't seem interested in what most of your fellow employees are. You're scared, I get it…the first time is always the most difficult. But you don't have to worry, boy I can go easy on you." An arrogant cadence in his voice made Gabriel increasingly uncomfortable. His heart-rate quickened—the vein in his neck, unbeknownst to him, began to throb and bulge out invitingly. The faint click of fangs being released made him feel something buzz over his fingertips. When he glanced down, he realized that somehow a ball of blue crackling electricity was sparking threateningly from the palm of his own hand. A hand from behind landed on his shoulder and the electrical current disappeared as suddenly as it came. Pam was a tight white and black striped cap-sleeve dress tonight with her hair pulled into a high ponytail.

"This one here is Eric's companion. You should be thankful I saw this little affront before he did, or he'd ship you straight to the Magister. You'd have had your fangs yanked out by the roots before dawn. Now go on, shoo." She made a dismissive hand motion, and the previously intrusive vampire stammered over an apology then scrambled off through the crowd behind them. Slowly, Gabriel turned and looked at Pam—extremely grateful she was there.

"Thank you…I wasn't sure if he actually would have or no—"She interrupted him sharply, taking him by the arm to coax him out of the bar and into the backroom.

"He practically had your blood dribblin' on his chin, now you need to learn what to say in order to keep your doe-eyed self safe here. James respects Sheriff Northman, but you may find yourself face-to-face with a vampire who does not. Come." She led him through the 'Employees Only' door and down the hall to Eric's empty office. There in the middle of the floor was a stool with a sheet set out underneath it. Pam led Gabriel to sit on the stool as she moved to gather a few things from a nearby stand.

"Anytime, and I mean any time you are approached by a vampire, you are to say that you're Eric's. If you say you've been claimed by him, then you shouldn't run into any trouble. Now then, I can't stand looking at that shaggy hair for another second so sit up straight, and keep your head down pup." He did as he was told, as she gave him his haircut he wondered what being claimed meant. There was an obvious answer but Eric never leered at him like some of the vampires and even the other humans sometimes did while he was working. There had been no missing persons report with his information on it, at least he was never told of one. But Gabriel was trying his best to try to do as Eric suggested that first night—start a new life.

"When I say that…what does it mean, exactly?" He felt her long fingernails drag through the thick strands as she checked to see if the sides were even. She chuckled softly and trimmed along his right side a little more.

"Exactly what you think it means, it means you are His. And if you persist with this innocent lost boy act someday you may really be as much." She'd never seen him like this with a human before. But he hadn't been quite the same since the demise of Godric, so perhaps he was reaching out to avoid being alone. Gabriel was an appealing oddity, he likely could remain with a vampire, and never have to be turned himself. She wasn't sure exactly _what_ he was but, he was powerful beyond his own comprehension. She'd witnessed his hand spark electricity before, and once he reached for a glass and it jumped to his grasp before he actually grabbed it himself. Pair that with healing, and he was a living vampire all on his own. That made him infinitely more interesting than Bill Compton's dewy little hussy.

When she was finished, she also gave the man a nice close shave and it was as if another person emerged underneath scruff and stubble. She walked around and surveyed her work, gone were the bangs and now he had a much more suitable short on the sides, side-parted style. Her fingernail moved over his cheekbone as she nodded.

"Much better, you look like much more than a mere bus-boy now. Perhaps Eric will give you a promotion." She smirked and wondered if he'd make a decent dancer in one of the club's VIP areas. It's a show she wouldn't mind seeing herself, but that was all Eric's decision to make. Gabriel stood up and moved to a mirror behind Eric's desk. At first he was taken aback by the clean-cut image in the glass's reflection, but he smiled a little more at it the longer he looked. In the blink of an eye, Eric's reflection was suddenly behind his own. Gabriel remained calm as he continued to look—maybe seeing himself in better condition would force a new memory to emerge. Nothing happened though as he stood there.

"I thought vampires didn't have reflections." Eric raised a brow and took another step toward him.

"A myth…there are many, and most of them are wrong. Pam did an excellent job on you .She also told me you were approached in the bar by a vampire." Gabriel turned around and nodded his hands in the pockets of his black work pants.

"Yes but nothing happened, she told me that I was to tell people I was yours. Then it wouldn't happen again." Eric sat down behind his desk, boots propped up as he scanned Gabriel's body up and down slowly.

"That's very true. Gabriel, I don't want you bussing tables anymore. It's not for you; you have so much potential here to do other things. Please take a seat." His hand motioned to the empty chair across from him, Pam had left a few minutes prior almost as soon as Eric entered the office. In a couple short strides, Gabriel was seated across from Eric, anxious at what the blonde was hinting at.

"Alright, so what do you want me to do here Eric?" Again, his heart began to race just as it had with the vampire near the bar. But this was filled with a strange sense of excitement that Gabriel only really felt when it was just he and Eric alone in a room together. There was no concept of gay, straight, or anything in between—concepts of depravity and purity also didn't figure into his mind now. Gabriel only knew from his senses; he practically had no hang-ups this way as he looked back into Eric's eyes.

"I've been without a human companion the entirety of my life as a vampire. The only bond I'd ever felt that lasted over the decades was that of myself and my maker, Godric. The idea of human companionship has always seemed so trite to me. But you—there is something about you Gabriel that will not leave my mind. You could well live without fear of death or disease and that puts you on the same level as me. No other human could have even been considered close before, but now I wonder if you'd allow me to actually claim you as my own. Would you like to be mine, Gabriel?"

Three Weeks Later

Now even his tongue did all the little things that Eric always enjoyed. Every flick and lapping motion lathered warm saliva all over his sensitive flesh as he, in turn, held Gabriel's outstretched arm to his lips and fed greedily from the young man. Well, thirty-one _was_ quite young compared to over a thousand years and counting –Gabriel's blood streaked down Eric's lips and over his chin with each passionate withdrawal. Down on his knees at Eric's feet, Gabriel's own lips were firmly enclosed around the head of the vampire's cock. He sucked and slurped, knowing it was his own blood that kept Eric throbbing and pulsing in his mouth.

So much had changed since the day in that very room he said yes. Now he lived in a private estate, sleeping at Eric's side—often with their limbs entangled together in the pitch black room. If it weren't for his ability to heal, Gabriel would be peppered with bite-marks and bruises from every single moment they spent with each other. Another perk of the cellular regeneration was that Eric didn't have to wait long between feedings as he had a constantly refurbished blood supply.

It was only a couple of days after Gabriel had arrived at Fangtasia that Eric had a copy of the police file from the Baltimore station in his hands. The picture he thought was very bemusing, while maintaining part of what he was attracted to in the man in the first place. Also, every single clock in his estate and the club now ran perfectly so that was an added bonus—his keen sense of intuition was really quite another impressive talent to add to an already unique list. About a week ago he'd purchased a pair of Oliver Peoples designer frames for his companion to wear, and he really did look quite fetching in them. The only reason he didn't have Gabriel wear them while he was pleasuring him was because it would be a shame to streak the glass. Eric's tenacity grew as he bucked and quivered in Gabriel's warm mouth—soon he finished as Gabriel lapped up every last drop except for what crept over his moist lip. As soon as he'd had his release, Eric relinquished his grip on his companion's wrist—it fell back to Gabriel's side as he sat back on his legs and caught his breath once more.

Eric's tongue licked lazily over his own lips as he cleaned off the blood that seeped out during his feeding. His eyes glanced down to meet with Gabriel's own gaze—so full of adoration and now more than a hint of devious pleasure. It was the exact reaction he'd always wanted to see from the one he chose to be with—and it wasn't even the result of glamour. Eric came into Gabriel's life at the perfect moment for the vampire to build it around himself. From the clothes Gabriel wore to the acts he engaged in with Eric, it was all a result of his wanting to please the man who took him in. He'd done exactly as Eric requested that first night—forgot about the past and embraced his future.

"When you've caught your breath again Gabriel…I'd like to give you something before we have to out there." A vampire bar had caught the attention of a local news affiliate and Eric had been granted permission to allow a camera crew to film a piece on Fangtasia East. There hadn't been any mysterious deaths, or sordid activities that weren't exactly what the regulars and/or tourists wanted—so it was a chance for positive promotion to try and stem the tide of hostility the vampire community still faced after the incident in Texas with the F.O.T.S.

"You give me too much, Eric." He smiled and shook his head slightly, glancing up at the man again as his mind reeled to what it could be now. Eric brought his own arm up to his lips—fangs still out and ready as Gabriel watched in astonishment at what he did next. Those glistening teeth tore into his flesh until warm blood oozed from the fresh wound. He extended his arm and watched the first drop hit the floor by Gabriel's knee.

"This is something I should have done the day you said yes, but you'd been through so much I wanted to try and take things a little slower with you. When you drink from me, Gabriel, it will solidify our bond. I will be in your subconscious, I will always know where you are, and if you're ever in need of my immediate presence. We will then truly have as close of a shared existence as is possible while you remain mortal." It didn't even figure into Gabriel's mind that it meant the dissolution of any shred of privacy. Why would he even want for something like that, when he had the strength and guidance of Eric to keep him on the right path? His neck craned forward so that his quivering lips could glide against Eric's arm. Gabriel carefully latched on the best he could, wincing a little from the strong flavor of the blood as it ran down over his tongue and down his throat.

Only a few gulps of the substance and Eric took his arm back from his companion's lips. His thumb brushed over Gabriel's jaw and chin appreciatively before he stood up from his chair again. A serene smile stayed on his lips for some time until Gabriel stood up and retrieved a button up jacket. He slipped it on, carefully buttoning two of the buttons then he exited the office so Eric could finish getting ready for his on-camera segment.

Miles away, it had been hours of work with little to show for it, again. Stacks of documents, messily arranged research equipment from slides to microscopes were all over the room. It was time for a break. Mohinder closed out the current chart he was going over in favor of checking out some news headlines. Mindless web-surfing became an excellent way to get his mind off of the stress he'd felt over the past month or so. Everything he'd tried to do ended in dead-ends, and he was very nearly at the point of giving up.

There was an article about some bar in Maryland that catered to vampires—that in and of itself was such a shock. He and the people he once associated with were too self-involved over the past two years to realize that vampires have existed in the World for a very long time. They'd 'come out of the coffin' as the expression went, and were assimilating into modern society. Suresh couldn't deny being absolutely fascinated with the concept of the walking dead…he'd entertained the idea of studying them when he'd first heard about this social phenomenon. He clicked on an embedded video interview with a vampire who ran a bar in Maryland apparently. It had become quite the tourist attraction and local hangout if only so people could say they'd shared space with a vampire and lived.

This Eric Northman talked about having been made on the battlefield and he had been alive for approximately 1,100 years now. It was stunning to Suresh to think about all the things he'd seen and experienced. As the interview went on, somebody clumsily bumped into the camera. When it panned over from the blonde vampire there was a slightly shorter brunette standing at his side. He was extremely well-dressed and setting a pair of plastic-frame glasses back onto the bridge of his nose when the camera moved to put Eric back into the center of the frame.

It took a second for the image of the man to settle into Suresh's thoughts as he moved the cursor over the video and put the video into reverse so he could get a better look. It took a few tries but when he did, he had a blurry freeze frame of what could only be described as a ghost. He watched this man burn, everyone did—and yet there he was alive and well and for some unknown reason, in a vampire bar in Maryland. While he didn't actively speak to anyone from the past two years, he had a few of their numbers. Who should he call, or better yet should he call anyone at all? The body that was incinerated in front of his eyes was a lie so, no, this was something he would keep to himself. After he watched the video a few more times he wrote down the address and contact information for the bar called Fangtasia.


	2. Of False Ashes

It was a beach at night this time. Moonlight was the only slight illumination to be found as he felt himself stand up and look down upon her. Strands of blonde hair that were once a perfect shade of golden light yellow now were a matted and blood-stained clump upon the sand. The blood was centered in two places, both across her delicate forehead and in a massive wound on her left thigh—it soaked through the hastily-arranged patch up of gauze and tape. But it also absolutely drenched his hands as he stretched a little and set off to try and find something to dispose of the body. The vaguest thought that she should consider herself honored he would even do that—so many others were left to decay and be discovered—passed through his thoughts. He grinned at the sight of a can of lighter fluid left over from some random bonfire from who knows when. Perfect.

Gabriel woke with a groan, his body startled back into activity as he saw yet another image of the broken girl in the sand. They couldn't be dreams, these had to be memories but they didn't seem to mesh with the ones where he's in a different body piloting a jet over a desert terrain. He sighed and sat up in bed to rub the remnants of sleep from his eyes. When he pulled his fingers over his eyelashes and could blink again, he saw Eric watching him in the corner already dressed.

"What was it this time, Gabriel?" These dreams had been occurring almost every single night since Gabriel began staying with him. Perhaps they even happened while the young man slept in the back of the bar—that much Eric didn't know. If they weren't all so disparate, Eric would chalk the images up to latent memories that whoever damaged Gabriel's brain couldn't even get to.

"There was a woman on a beach. She was bleeding out and I-I…I had her blood on me. Her face—was peaceful, not horrified. Ugh, I don't want to keep having these dreams Eric. Every night I want to just have this, a new life. But every day I sleep and things just keep flooding back to ruin the peace I try to find before bed." It felt like he had two lives right now, that someday he would have to go back to whatever it was he ran from. Whatever it was, that ended with crawling out of his own grave.

"Hm. Perhaps there's someone I know who can make things in your head calm down considerably. It's something we can discuss when I return, I've been summoned by a former direct superior of mine, King Russell. I'll be down in Mississippi for a day." Another look at the young man's exposed body peeking out from a tangle of black sheets and his milky white inner thigh seemed absolutely too tempting to resist in that moment. Eric strode over and slid his leg down across the sheets as he leaned in to lap his tongue against the warm flesh—his tongue swirled the dark hairs on Gabriel's leg as he moaned softly from the motion.

"Ohhhh…Wait, summoned? What do you mean, E-eric, am I coming with you?" Before he could take a breath to brace himself, the faint clicking sounds of retractable fangs sounded and there was a sudden sensation as the razor-sharp points tore into his thigh. He'd been fed from here a few times, as it seemed that Eric's desired point of blood withdrawal was changing to his more erogenous zones the longer they were together. Neck became collarbone, collarbone became chest, chest became hipbone, hipbone became inner thigh and so far—Eric had not been any lower than that. He squirmed and moaned wantonly as Eric took his fill of Gabriel's blood. When he started feeling dizzy the fangs left once more. His ability kicked in to heal the fresh wounds as Eric licked over the remaining droplets until the skin was clean again.

"Mmm. Not this time, no. You see if it was any other King—Gerard perhaps, I would then have you by my side. Russell is noted for his tastes specifically in young virile men. If you went with me, you would quite literally be eaten alive, Gabriel. While I'm gone, I want you to just stay here until I return. Pam is coming by to check up on you so if you need anything, let her know. Despite her eye-rolling, she will retrieve anything you ask for, I promise." Gabriel was transfixed as he watched his blood stain Eric's lips and chin—this coupled with the rush of new blood being produced, and of skin mending over was an extremely intense sensation. His brain buzzed as it did after every time Eric fed from him. One could easily argue he was becoming addicted to the rush of it—they would be right.

"Oh, well I don't need a babysitter Eric. I can stay here and be fine, but I understand you wanting me to stay behind. I remember what you told me about the hierarchy and what it could mean for someone like me." Eric had explained to him before he was claimed that anyone could up and take him from Eric should they feel like it. Even after he'd been claimed, it was apparent that if a vampire of higher rank decided that they wanted Gabriel—then he would be forced to go with them. Typical humans didn't have much to worry about in this, but Gabriel was certainly not typical.

Eric smirked softly as he leaned forward, placing his lips against Gabriel's own as they kissed. Gabriel's hands reached up and slid over the long-sleeve black shirt Eric must have put on when he arose that evening. Fingers trailed along the fabric until he reached the talon pendant his keeper always wore—usually underneath his shirt not on top as it currently lay. As soon as his fingertips caressed the curve of the claw, his mind was inundated with images and sensations. Gabriel saw the man who'd given Eric the pendant. The glistening gold was marred by the blood spattered surface as the man who looked like he couldn't have been any older than a teenager, held it in front of Eric's lips as he knelt down before him. Eric's lips pressed to the curved pendant, his tongue out to lap the blood from it until it was clean once more. It was placed around his neck and the chain was fastened as the young-looking man tilted Eric's chin up. His lips brushed against the shell of his ear as he whispered softly once the clasp was in place.

"Wear it, always my childe…" Eric nodded and looked right into his maker's eyes as the talon rested on his chest. Gabriel felt an overwhelming rush of adoration and love flowing through him as Eric replied.

"It will never leave me, Godric. I swear to you." From that day forward he wore it and even after Godric's death, which Gabriel also saw an abbreviated flash of, it always remained with him. Gabriel whispered the name 'Godric' softly when the images stopped. Eric stood away from Gabriel and looked down at him with a stunned curiosity. In the time that they'd been together Eric had never once referred to his Maker by name. Gabriel had also never shown a proclivity towards telepathy either so how did this occur?

Gabriel blinked a couple of times before he slowly stood up as well. He felt a rush of blood go straight to his cheeks from what he just did. This was certainly his strangest power yet, when he touched objects he could see the places they'd been, and the people they'd been with.

"I um, don't know what came over me just now, Eric. I'm also sorry for your loss…you really loved him." There was the slightest twitch of Eric's arm when Gabriel expressed the completely personal and private connection between a vampire and his Maker. It was a relationship that no one could ever understand unless they had one of their own. Eric nodded and motioned his hand to the younger man behind him.

"I don't know how you know, but yes he meant everything to me. Apparently there is no security in immortality—it's all fleeting. Pleading doesn't mean anything when the mind is so firm on an idea. Now, I have to go, or I'll be late. I'll see you in a day, Gabriel. " He watched Gabriel move off into the bathroom and listened as the shower started up a minute later. His hand moved up to the necklace as he fingered the talon carefully. Twin trails of crimson tears slowly dripped from the corners of his eyes. Eric allowed them to for a moment before he reached up to wipe them firmly away.

Eric was long gone by the time Gabriel had showered and dressed for his evening. Daytime wasn't something he indulged in much anymore, and so he actually planned on staying up all night so he could see the sun again. Living with a vampire practically made one a vampire by proxy—but he wanted to see the sunlight without thinking it made Eric long for something he couldn't have just because he _could_ go outside. For now, the only thing he was concerned with was what could be found in the fridge to have for a snack. As he padded along the bare floors of Eric's estate, Gabriel felt a definite chill in the air. It felt like a breeze had made its way into the house, and when he came upon the broken glass fragments laying on the floor from the shattered glass around the backdoor's lock—he felt a rush of adrenaline thrum within his veins. Something very odd caught his attention as he walked over to the door—it seemed there was a strand of silver chain wrapped around the doorknob.

"What the —"A figure barreled itself into Gabriel from the shadows of the room. They both hit the floor hard as they lay there still for a moment. Soon enough, Gabriel's attacker had collected himself enough to scramble on top of him and send a sharp implement straight into his chest. The point effectively speared his heart in mid-pump until Gabriel squirmed underneath his assailant and wrapped his fingers around what had to be a wooden stake. It was roughly withdrawn from his body as the gaping chest wound sucked back into itself—leaving his shirt the only thing with lasting damage.

With a fling of his arm, Gabriel sent his attacker flying backward to hit the wall then collapse in a heap, unconscious. His hand slid once over where the wound used to be so he could make sure that it had completely healed before he pushed himself up off of the floor again. Now that his heart was beating again, every pronounced pumping of blood through his veins was so palpable to Gabriel after a couple whole minutes of nothing after the stake had been removed. The only sound in the room was his rough uneven breaths as he neared the fallen man to try and see if he was really out, or if he was faking it. Gabriel stepped forward to haul the man away from the door—his fingers curled to untangle the silver length of chain from the doorknob to take it with him into another room.

"Does the cross mean something for you, or are you just wearing it thinking it would keep you protected?" Gabriel leaned against a chair as he watched the man slowly stir. First he groaned from the dull throb of his headache—he tried to move, but found his hands tightly bound together behind him and anchored to the bottom of a bedpost. Slowly, he lifted his head to stare at the man who somehow survived a stake through the chest.

"It means everything to me. You're not like him, are you? But yet you're still an affront to the Lord like anything that lives in this house must be. I saw it go through, you should be dead." Gabriel had a new shirt on as if he'd never been stabbed in the first place. The bound man knew he couldn't be a vampire since he currently held onto the silver bracelet with a cross charm affixed to it. If he was one of those deviant vampire lifestyle humans then he certainly didn't look the part—no strung out expression on his face, or wounds on his body.

"If I was dead, then you would have sinned—that's an affront as much as anything. What's your name?" Gabriel dropped the bracelet to the floor before he crouched down to meet the other man's eye-line. That stake was meant for the man who saved his life—the one he had grown to care for so deeply. Every second he stared at Eric's would-be attacker he felt a growing rage boil within his very being.

"You're with Eric, so you know a great deal about murder I assume. His kind killed my father--if not Eric himself. So if it had killed you, then I'm sure I would be forgiven if you were the only thing standing between myself and a demon. I gotta say, so far you're not like the fang-banger trash I've met before. He seems to have left you with a brain for one thing. But do you have a name still?" There was the hint of a superior expression on the bound man's face. Gabriel felt his rage sear a little at that. People would look at him like that sometimes and it felt like something very latent inside of him had awoken when anyone showed that they thought they were at all better than he was. It didn't take long after he had agreed to become Eric's companion that he realized what an honored position it was to be by his side. At the bar, he'd catch patrons sneering at him from what he came to assume must have been envy.

"Gabriel and you're avoiding my question. Who are you, and what possessed you to come here to try and harm Eric." The very idea that anyone would make an attempt to take the one thing in his fractured life that made some semblance of sense from him was making his hands shake. Flashes of faces contorted in agony coupled with intense screams split his skull momentarily as a rush of images flooded Gabriel's mind. Why was it always pain and death that entered into his mind every time this happened?

"Steve Newlin, the heh, deposed ex-reverend with the Fellowship of the Sun I'm surprised that Eric hasn't mentioned me. I came close to killing him, and I'm here to do the Lord's work and finish my task." Gabriel had in fact heard the surname Newlin before. They were the people who were so vocally anti-vampire every night on the news or in the papers. But Gabriel had a very hard time believing that this pathetic man was able to harm someone like Eric. If he had, it certainly wouldn't be something that Eric would talk freely about to him.

"Despite the fact that Eric isn't here, it wouldn't matter. You still wouldn't have come close to him—if anyone else were here you would have committed murder, Reverend Newlin. So maybe God is on your side that you _can't_ kill me."

Steve shifted his shoulders slightly as he knit his brow in response.

"And why is that, exactly? Why is that you can't get hurt…that makes me wonder if Eric found some way to do something to you. I've heard of his associating with known witches back down South. Did they run him out of town? I had no idea where he was until that charming piece on the news about the bar." Gabriel didn't know why he was the way he was, but he knew Eric had nothing to do with it.

"No. I-I'm not exactly sure of why I can't get hurt. I just know I can't, and that's enough for me. There's no need to go digging in things that are better left buried anyway." He glanced down and away from Steve as he tried to convince himself of what he'd just said. Initially he'd wanted to know more about himself and the kind of man he was before he stumbled onto Fangtasia-East's doorstep. But Eric had made him feel so special, so fulfilled that he didn't need to figure out why he had these abilities. Or why someone seemed to want him dead.

"That sounds like something that your cohort in sin has said so many times that you can only repeat it. I tell ya Gabriel, it just makes me so sad to see young men such as yourself in these situations. Not even counting the sin of laying with another man—I'm talking about throwing your life away entirely for someone else. I look into your eyes and I see a man who is not whole. Listen to me Gabriel, there's always a time for second chances. You can come with me and we can help you figure out what's been missing in your life." Gabriel clenched his fists and flung his arm out before he even knew what he'd done there was a gash along Steve Newlin's cheek nearly an inch long. The man gasped sharply and shook as Gabriel looked down at his left hand to see his index finger out.

"You don't know anything about me or what I've found here. So you listen to me you closed-minded waste of space, I-I'll do worse than that if you continue to insult Eric or my choice in lifestyle." He paused for a moment and felt this absolutely wicked urge as he stood up and walked over to crouch right next to Steve. His hand moved to curl tightly within the dark strands of Newlin's hair as he pulled the bound man a little closer—his wrists pressed painfully into the chain links when Gabriel forced him forward.

"I start to wonder, Reverend if all of this talk of sin and men lying with other men means that you've got some undisclosed desires I could make happen for you. C'mon Newlin you can't tell me you've never thought about it…how wrong could it be hm?" Gabriel shoved Steve forward until their lips slammed together—every movement of Gabriel's lips was meant to violate the other man as they kissed. His free hand roamed intrusively underneath Steve's shirt until his fingers not only grazed but twisted the tender pink flesh of his right nipple. Steve groaned from the sensation but Gabriel kept their lips firmly pressed together for a few moments more as his hand slid away from Steve's body the same time he leaned back again.

Though his expression was filled with deviant amusement, Gabriel was stunned at his own actions within his thoughts. The look on Newlin's face was absolutely worthwhile, but he had no idea why he felt he needed to humiliate Steve in such a way. When he kissed him it wasn't about lust or comfort—the reasons that such an action is probably supposed to be used to express. No, this was something else in his mind; to Gabriel it felt like a very effective way to take control back of the situation. To show Newlin that he was a very powerful man—it even worked to make Gabriel believe it himself. As he thought about it more, Gabriel realized that he'd never been alone with another person ever since he started his relationship with Eric. There had been one-on-one time with other vampires of course but not a single human being who wasn't as Steve had correctly surmised, glamoured out of their minds.

Steve was shamed into silence as he tried to curl back away from Gabriel. He thought about a certain blond Stackhouse sibling whose name wasn't Sookie. The time they participated in some target practice together alone out in the woods—both men training to fight in the Lord's war against the undead as Steve believed they were bonding in their shared distaste for the bloodsucking demon kind. That turned out being a one-sided attraction however, one of many that Steve had so discretely held over the years. When he glanced over at Gabriel again Steve widened his eyes at the sight of the tall blond vampire who suddenly stood behind Eric's companion.

"Well well…Gabriel are you holding out on Eric, or is this toy new?" Pam stood with her well-manicured fingers curled slightly around her hip as she looked down at Steve with bemusement. She brushed past Gabriel and leaned down to caress her fingernail over the cut on Steve's cheek.

"Tsk, such a waste, it's never very good when it's dried. I'll take care of this for you Gabriel you can just…run along now. See, aren't you glad that Eric had me look after you in his absence?" She smirked and her hand shot out to grip Steve's neck tightly as she moved to untie his wrists.

"Pam, wait you don't want to touch that—I used the chain he brought with him. It's real silver." Gabriel moved and his fingers grazed Steve's wrists as he unlocked the chain that held him. Newlin looked into Gabriel's eyes one more time before Pam hauled him up to his feet. She forced Steve to look right at her as she calmed the man down enough that he'd follow her blindly out of the house. When they'd both left, Gabriel crouched down on the floor again for a moment.

The glint of the man's silver bracelet caught his eye as he reached over to pick it up again. Pam likely wouldn't let Steve live through the rest of the night but that had nothing to do with him any longer. The whole encounter left him feeling rather conflicted as he gingerly fingered the charm of the cross between his fingers—would Eric eventually make him into a living toy as Steve had implied? He glanced at the clock and realized that the sun would soon be up, so if he wanted to take advantage of it then he should go outside now to wait. Instead he decided that he felt he would go without as he stood up again and walked down the hall with the bracelet clutched against his palm.

Lately it seemed like Mohinder was running late everywhere. When the taxi finally pulled up, he reached into his pocket quickly and pulled out the fee plus a generous tip—he certainly knew how much such a thing was appreciated in that line of work. Once his bag was slung over his shoulder, he moved out of the vehicle and into the quaint diner his appointment was to be held at. He had corresponded with Mr. Compton for a couple of weeks in regard to the project he'd been working on. Shortly after he'd viewed the segment about the vampire bar in Maryland, Mohinder did some research and found that Bill Compton was someone he could contact to try and find out more about the mainstreaming of vampires. Of course, this was all hopefully going to lead up to the man who appeared on the computer screen like a ghost before Mohinder's eyes.

When he walked into the diner he scanned the room for Bill and his companion to see if they were already there. Off at a corner booth a man who matched Bill's description sat with a wavy-haired blond in a bright robin's egg blue dress. She easily stood out amongst the shades of cream, beige, and maroon this establishment seemed to favor as its décor. Once Bill caught sight of Mohinder he smiled and stood up, waving him over to their booth with a slight smile.

"Sorry I'm late, the flight was canceled and then it was impossible to get a taxi. I'd heard something about there being a convention in town. Anyway, Mr. Compton it's good to finally meet you." Mohinder flashed a bright smile and shook Bill's hand as they exchanged pleasantries before he was introduced to his female companion.

"—and this is Sookie Stackhouse. She's been very eager to meet you Dr. Suresh ever since she heard about your research." Sookie smiled and stood up to shake Mohinder's hand as well. She couldn't help reading through his thoughts as she spoke—after all she wanted to make sure this was a man they could trust.

"Bill's right, Doctor, after I heard that you—well that you had met other people like me, I was so excited to talk to you. Maybe you could help me figure out why I can do what I do." She'd met Barry of course, so Sookie knew there were others out there. But from what Bill had told her Mohinder Suresh had met not only other telepaths, but people who had a whole range of special abilities. Everyone sat down again as Bill and Sookie waited for their orders—type A positive Tru Blood and a chef's salad respectively. Mohinder chatted with them both for a while as he explained to Sookie that a very good friend of his was telepathic. She was given the contact number for Matt Parkman in Los Angeles, and told to tell him that Mohinder recommended she give him a call. About a half hour into their conversation, Mohinder breached his true reason for having contacted Bill.

"Mr. Compton I was curious if you knew anything about a human that was seen around a Mr. Eric Northman. I um, I'd like to find him and talk with him if at all possible." Mohinder set the mug of coffee down onto the table as he looked anxiously back and forth between Bill and Sookie. If they had seen him perhaps they could give him an idea as to what his mental state was.

"Oh, well Bill and I met Gabriel about a week ago. We were in the area for Bill's list and I had the chance to spend a few minutes around him. Something happened to that boy, didn't it? It wasn't like when someone has been glamoured Dr. Suresh—I peered in and there wasn't really a lot of internal voice. He seemed a little blank, but nice enough though. Eric sure seemed pleased with him, and that's fine with me because it got him off of my back." Her grin was toothy, and the tone of voice she used was definitely that of relief. Bill seemed to be pleased by the situation as well as he gently squeezed her hand once affectionately.

"We were both there as I had intended on receiving Eric's permission to comb through the area as a part of the vampire census, for lack of a better term, that I've been working on. Sookie has been annoyed by Eric's inappropriate advances for some time now, but unless he was trying to make her envious—his attentions were squarely focused on the man you're looking for, Doctor."

Mohinder had heard a great deal about a vampire's ability to glamour or, persuade their intended victim. Despite the growth of mainstreaming—glamouring didn't seem to be a practice that would be going away anytime soon; its purpose still accomplished the same thing it did before the creation of synthetic blood. A happy docile long-term food supply was a much more conventional way of going about it these days.

"Gabriel…is someone that I know. He and I have known each other for a few years and he up and disappeared recently. I definitely believe I'll be heading up to Baltimore to try and visit him. Mr. Compton, Miss Stackhouse—thanks for all of your help. Mr. Compton, let's keep in touch hm? I believe we could both be a great help to each other in our respective fields of research." Mohinder shook Bill's hand again and leaned in to give Sookie a polite hug before he excused himself from their booth entirely.

"You're right Bill he seems like someone who can definitely help you with your index. I wonder how he knows Gabriel though. Did you see when he spoke about him that his voice got all tense?" She sipped the rest of her vanilla coke down through the striped the straw as she glanced over at Bill with her brows raised. Had she known he would be so vague speaking about how he know Eric's companion she definitely would have taken the liberty to sift through his thoughts a little more.

"I am not sure why, but it's not really a matter of our concern, Sookie. We should get back to our room so I can plan out who I'll be contacting in this state. There are a few I wish to track down tonight if it all possible." His empty bottle of Tru Blood was abandoned at the corner of the table as he had a ledger out with various names and notations on every page. No one had ever really created a vampire listing before, and he believed it could be a very valuable resource to future generations of his kind. He leaned over and gently slid the straw over away from her lips as he gave her a kiss. She tasted like vanilla now thanks to the soda but he always thought she tasted just a little sweet all on her own.

Outside of the diner, Mohinder stood with his cell phone in his hand. All he could do was stare down at it as he wondered if he should hit the 'send' button for the highlighted name on his contact list. It wouldn't be the first time that Gabriel Gray had pretended to be harmless—something Mohinder knew on a very personal level. This was a man who was not dead, but was walking about near a new group of people who seemingly knew nothing of his life as Sylar. While he likely couldn't hurt a vampire, Gabriel could certainly hurt fellow humans should his baser instincts and urges take him over once more. So Mohinder made the choice to hit the button and hold the receiver up to his ear. After a few rings, there was finally a voice on the other end.

"Peter? It's Mohinder…do you have a moment to speak? Something very important has come up."


End file.
